3.2 The Man at the End of the Garden

Strange things are happening in the Naismith household. Eleanor Naismith has vanished, and her daughter Clara is found in odd circumstances… What is the link to Eleanor’s book, The Man At The End of the Garden?

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Styre
on April 18, 2017 at 10:36 PM

JAGO & LITEFOOT: THE MAN AT THE END OF THE GARDEN

The tenth Jago & Litefoot story, “The Man at the End of the Garden,” features Matthew Sweet’s debut in the range, an author who produced two of my favorite monthly Doctor Who releases. And it’s every bit as good as you’d expect: it features parallel narratives, one “real” and one fictional, with elements of each bleeding over into the others. Events are rooted in a Rumpelstiltskin-like story, with a magical little man (Duncan Wisbey) making a deal with a little girl: promise him his freedom and win a reward, but fail to satisfy your end of the bargain and lose that which you love most in the world. If there’s a complaint about this story, it’s that the fairy tale is foregrounded to the point that it masks the roles of the lead characters. Both Jago and Litefoot are largely reactive characters in this story, playing the “ask lots of questions” part like everyone else. Still, their talents are put to use – witness Jago essentially saving the day due to his knowledge of stagecraft, for example. This also relates to Leela’s tears in the fabric of space-time, but even though she investigates the situation from a completely different angle, her role in the conclusion is reduced as well. Still, with the story written as well as it is, and with great performances from Joanna Bacon, Joanna Monro, and Eden Monteath, the story more than gets away with it. Narrative complexity is always welcome, especially when it comes from the pen of a talented writer. “The Man at the End of the Garden” is the most unusual Jago & Litefoot tale yet, but it’s also one of the best.